Tune Me

A MHealth Initiative to Increase Young People’s Knowledge and Skills to Promote the Adoption of Protective Sexual Behaviours

Abstract

When m-health initiatives are part of broader programmes addressing the sexual and reproductive health and rights of adolescents and young people, the power to reach a large number of young people in a cost effective manner is unquestionable. UNFPA East and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO), under its flagship youth programme “Safeguard Young People” (SYP) and in collaboration with Praekelt Foundation, Ford Foundation and DFID, developed and rolled out TuneMe (tuneme.org) – a mobile site (mobisite) designed for low- and high-end devices in environments where high data charges and poor network coverage combine to limit access to online services. The project took place in eight countries in southern Africa.

Through social features and content designed to be youthful and interactive for users, TuneMe aims to equip adolescents with the information and motivation they need to make informed choices. Adolescents access Tune Me through the internet browser on their mobile phone or through Free Basics by Facebook, which allows any young person with a mobile phone to access the platform without the limitation of data or Wi-Fi connectivity (Facebook, 2018). TuneMe platform also includes a GPS clinic finder feature and an M&E system ‘built in’ which allows routine reviews of the reach of the mobiste disaggregate by age and sex including bouncing rates, preferred articles – to mention a few.